Days 15-19: Where my beaches at?

After Monday's debacle, I was super apprehensive about taking Dyl on a fall beach trip.  She hated being in her crate in the car (and we had a 6 hour drive ahead of us), she had not reacted well to new places to date, and frankly, I was feeling down about class on Monday.

But, Mike did an awesome job taking the girls for a long run and getting their Kongs ready for the long road ahead.  She squealed for the first hour or so, but eventually settled in since she and Nala were both crated.  They did hate it when we got Arby's though.

The first night was sleepy - both gals had a long car ride, so they got along fine and snuggled up to their dad.

This became a theme, because as it turns out, Dylan LOVES to swim!  In fact, it seems to be the best way to tire her out and keep her happy.  By starting every morning off with a long swim/play on the beach, both dogs slept like babies all day while Mike and I enjoyed our vacation.  Plus, Dyl looks adorable in her life jacket.

We learned some important lessons, too.  A Kong in the crate makes it better no matter whether you're in a strange place, in the car, or just napping.  It's like a dog pacifier.

All in all, the trip was an amazing bonding experience with Dylan.  She and Nala snuggled each other one night totally on their own, and they didn't have any disagreements the whole trip.  We really got the chance to spend good time with her too. 

When we got back, Dyl had Monday class part 2 with Mike.  He said the trainer called her most improved!  She still freaked out for the first half of class, but by the end, a combination of patience and sliced turkey breast got her to pay attention, sit, and take treats in a crowd of dogs.

Meanwhile, I was teaching Miss Nala how to run with me on a leash.  She's doing well with it, and she's starting to stop at stop signs for a sit before I even tell her.  I'm very impressed.  She did digress a little on the 'sleeping on the floor' during our trip...she got a little spoiled at the beach and is testing her luck.  Fortunately, I'm a light sleeper and can correct her.

Glad we had such a good trip with the gals.